Printed Electronics
Printed electronics is a field of technology focused on applying various printing techniques to produce electronic devices on various substrates such as paper, plastic, fabric and more. The key advantage of printed electronics over traditional silicon electronics is the ability to print circuits on thin and flexible materials. This allows for creating electronic devices that can bend, twist and conform to any surface.
Printing Techniques Used in Printed Electronics
There are various Printing Techniques used in Printed Electronics production including screen printing, gravure printing, Inkjet printing, flexography and offset lithography.
Screen printing is the most widely used traditional printing technique for producing printed electronics. It involves forcing conductive inks or pastes through a screen that has openings arranged in a pattern onto the substrate. Screen printing offers high resolution and is suited for high-volume production. However, it requires complex screen fabrication and has high material wastage.
Gravure printing utilizes an engraved cylinder to transfer ink onto the substrate. It can print at very high speeds and has the ability to print photographic quality images. However, the printing plates require complex photoengraving and are expensive to produce.
Inkjet printing deposits precise droplets of functional inks onto a substrate through nozzles. It has gained popularity in printed electronics as it allows for digital printing, roll-to-roll production, requires low material usage and can print on various surfaces. However, inkjet printing has relatively lower throughput as compared to other techniques.
Flexography uses an image carrier with raised areas that transfer ink via an anilox roller onto the substrate. It is well-suited for printing on flexible substrates in high volumes. The resolutions achievable through flexography have been steadily improving but it stills trails screen printing and gravure.
Offset lithography relies on ink being repelled by wet non-image areas but attracted to hydrophobic ink-receptive image areas of an aluminum printing plate. It results in high-quality, intricate images and is a high-volume technique. However, its multistep process adds to complexity.
Flexible & Stretchable Electronic Materials
The unique ability of printed electronics lies in depositing functional inks and pastes onto thin, flexible and stretchable substrates to produce flexible circuits. This enables unique form factors for electronic devices. Common flexible substrate materials include PET, PU, PE and medical grade paper.
Key materials used in printed electronics include conductive inks made of silver, copper or carbon nanotubes which act as interconnects. Dielectric inks based on polymers are printed to insulate conductors. Adhesive materials are used for mechanical adhesion to substrates. PEDOT:PSS is a popular transparent conductive material. Functional layers include semiconductors, light emitting materials, sensors, and energy storage layers. Substrate materials are also being developed with stretchable capabilities to enable ‘e-textiles’ and wearable devices.
Applications of Printed Electronics
Printed electronics have enabled innovative applications across various industries due to their flexibility, low-cost and simple manufacturing on thin substrates.
RFID tags are a mature application of printed electronics with over 5 billion RFID tags produced annually. Photovoltaics is an emerging area with companies developing printed thin-film solar panels as a low-cost alternative to silicon modules.
Display applications include development of large, lightweight and flexible AMOLED displays for next-gen consumer devices. Functional fabric applications integrate electronics into clothing, tents and other textiles.
Sensors form another major category - from moisture and environmental sensors to biomedical sensors. These applications leverage printed electronics functional materials and suit flexible, conformal form factors on fabric, paper or foil.
Lighting is an innovative area with advances in development of new OLED architectures offering unique decorative lighting solutions. Other printed consumer products encompass interactive toys, smart packaging and personalized healthcare wearables.
Outlook of the Printed Electronics Industry
Factors like cheaper manufacturing, recyclability and design versatility will drive adoption of printed electronics in numerous emerging applications across industries. Success in commercialization of displays, lighting and functional surfaces will boost growth. Material and process innovations are enabling new functions and unique form factors extending possibilities.
While industry has made significant advancements, further scaling up of various printed electronic processes and integration of multiple functional elements remain a challenge. High investments are required for commercializing disruptive technologies. Overall, continuous R&D coupled with the scalability of printing techniques will shape the future evolution of this promising technology with potentially transformative implications.
Get more insights, On Printed Electronics
The global printed electronics market size is projected to reach USD 19.15 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.9% according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc.
The surging demand for the flexible electronics at low manufacturing costs and the need for eco-friendly technologies is paving the way for increased adoption of the technology.Additionally, the increasing penetration of IoT worldwide is proving to be a prime factor in pulling the printed electronics market over the forecast period.
The continuously growing demand for IoT in the telecommunication industry for enhancing the network and optimizing the performance along with operations is expected to propel the application of technology over the forecast period.Numerous technological advancements and developments have led to the evolution of various electronic gadgets and instruments.
The growing awareness and user-friendly technologies are leading to the early adoption of these innovative products significantly.Competent players of the industry are investing largely on the related R activities in order to enrich the product portfolios and establish their presence in the market.
Therefore, the printed electronics is anticipated to seek a notable attention across the consumer electronic sector over the forecast period.The market is categorized based on the materials needed, technologies, and the devices holding a major application over the forecast period.
This demand can be accredited to the increased production of consumer electronics across the regional countries.However, the North America and European countries such as UK, Germany, and Norway includes various organizations and associations involved in the promoting and investing in R for developing the printed electronics technology.
04 Oct 2018 – The global Conductive Ink Market is estimated to develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction.
These inks essentially consist of metal constituent part for example copper and silver to help the flow of electric current through the electric circuit.
The increasing production of printed electronics through a number of businesses is at the forefront, and it is motivating the development of the conductive inks market.
It takes into consideration the intake in terms of sales, market stake, and development percentage for respective use, including Electroluminescent [EL] Panel, Potentiometers and Printed Circuit Board [PCBs], Antenna, Biosensors, Solar Panels, Printed Heaters, Touch Screen, Sensors.
